Photo Basics

Photography, just like everything else, comes with a learning curve. Usually it takes a long time to figure everything out and get in a good routine because we make so many mistakes along the way. I should know. I’ve been guilty of this entire list. That’s why I wrote it, so you won’t waste time … Read more

Understanding the different metering modes, or ways your camera reads light is a crucial step to balancing your exposure. You want to be sure that you know exactly how your camera is reading light and where your camera thinks that light is coming from. If you are using the wrong metering, your photograph will probably not … Read more

Now that you understand exposure, aperture, shutter, and ISO, let’s explore your creative exposure settings. The DSLR camera dial is where you are going to find the different creative settings you will use to create incredible photographs that everyone will be jealous of and ask how you did it. Understanding the Creative Exposure Modes on Your … Read more

Understanding exposure is the first step to creating interesting photographs in manual mode. If you just got a DSLR camera I’m begging you to learn how to use creative exposures with your camera. If you’ve been using your DSLR in green mode (fully automatic mode) you’ve probably experienced some frustration with trying to make your … Read more

Rule of thirds – I don’t like the word rule. So, let’s change that to guideline of thirds. The guideline of thirds is really a generic principal to make subjects look more interesting. When you are taking a photograph, envision your viewfinder split into horizontal and vertical thirds like this: Line subjects up on the … Read more

Let’s start with a story. I have found myself on the sidelines of a University of Tennessee football game in 2013. My mission: get amazing photographs that can be used in sports articles. No pressure, right? The game started around noon and it was a beautiful, sunny day. I knew that I wanted to use … Read more

If you are a Canon user, you need to know what the EF-S and EF lenses are. There is a huge difference in technology and price when you are comparing the two. The EF-S lens line was introduced in 2003 with Canon’s reasoning being that the EF-S line was to provide a cheaper version of … Read more

Canon started the confusion between EF and EF-S lenses in 2003 when they created a different lens mount on DSLR models. The lens mount varies between full frame DSLR cameras and crop sensor DSLR cameras. What is a full frame and crop sensor you say? Find out HERE. The names EF and EF-S refer to the … Read more

First of all, you need to understand what the difference is in a full frame DSLR and a crop sensor DSLR. Learn the differences HERE. The question, “Should I get a full frame DSLR camera,” is one that comes up all the time in the classes I teach as well as on forums, blogs, and … Read more

When I’m talking with people interested in photography, people always ask me, “What is the difference between a full frame DSLR and a crop sensor DSLR?” Let’s go way back to the start of the saga with the death of film. Film’s most popular size was 35mm, however, when the DSLR camera came out, … Read more

Your camera collects and monitors light using three things: shutter, aperture, and ISO. These three light gathering functions work together to balance light in order to properly expose a photograph. To me, ISO is the person in a family who moderates and makes peace with every situation. If you are struggling to get the light … Read more

Your camera collects and monitors light using three things: shutter, aperture, and ISO. These three light gathering functions work together to balance light in order to properly expose a photograph. When using the aperture, you must determine how much depth of field (out of focus background) you want in your photograph as well as balance … Read more

Your camera collects and monitors light using three things: shutter, aperture, and ISO. These three light gathering functions work together to balance light in order to properly expose a photograph. Shutter is the amount of time that a photo is being taken. The shutter is represented as a fraction such as 1/200. That mean that … Read more

Much like athletes, photographers can go into slumps. We get tired of photographing the same things and feel like we have searched and searched for new angles or compositions that will kick start our creative juices. I’ve put together a list of ideas to help you break your shooting slump. 1) Participate in a 365 … Read more